UPSL Women Expand into Midwest West Region With 6 Teams Set to Play in Minnesota & Wisconsin 

March 22nd, 2023

With dozens of conferences in the UPSL and UPSL Women set to kick off this month for the start of the Spring season, one conference in particular is making waves just west of the Great Lakes. For the first time ever, the UPSL Women will begin play in the Midwest West Conference with six teams from the Minnesota and Wisconsin region. The UPSL Women Midwest West conference will be one of the only women’s leagues, and the only semi-pro level Women’s league to operate in the region. 

Amer Mian, UPSL Midwest West Conference manager, spoke about the level and importance of the league in the local women’s soccer landscape. 

“What makes this league so special is the accessibility to play at a high level. We try to remove as many barriers to entry as possible. We started with two men’s clubs in 2017, and now have 11 clubs in our Men’s Premier Division and 6 clubs in our Men’s Division 1. Now it’s time to duplicate that success on the women’s side. Minnesota has a large number of talented women soccer players looking for a platform to showcase their talents. So far, we are getting very positive feedback.” 

The teams set to play in the UPSL Women Midwest West Conference: 

  • Saint Croix Soccer Club (Stillwater, Minnesota) 
  • Vlora Football Club (Burnsville, Minnesota) 
  • Granite City Football Club (Saint Cloud, Minnesota)
  • Wave SC Womens (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
  • Superior City Football Club (Superior, Wisconsin) 
  • Tonka Fusion Elite (Plymouth, Minnesota) 

This is just one of several UPSL Women conferences set to kick off this Spring, joining already successful UPSL Women conferences in Southern California, Florida and the Northeast. The UPSL Women league serves as one of the few high-level women’s soccer leagues nationwide and provides a much-needed platform for current and former college athletes, active professional players and high-level youth prospects. 

St. Croix Executive Director spoke about what the conference provides for his club’s development plan. 

“In joining UPSL, the club will add a pre-professional pathway to its programming. Through membership in UPSL, St. Croix SC will give its players access to a proven pathway toward a career in professional soccer. Beyond player development, the UPSL also provides pathways for coaches to develop, the UPSL is the perfect pre-professional league, bridging the gap between youth soccer and professional soccer in the United States.” 

The UPSL Women Spring season will begin play next month and will continue throughout the spring, serving as a stand-alone or complimentary spring season for high-level women’s players. For more information on how to join any of the UPSL Women conferences, including the Midwest West conference, please visit upslregistration.com/application/team to submit an inquiry. 

About United Premier Soccer League 

The UPSL was formed in 2011 and occupies the unofficial fourth tier of US Soccer. Across its Premier, Division 1 and Womens leagues there are more than 400 teams competing nationwide. The UPSL is now the largest Pro Development League in North America and is a National Affiliate member of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). Each UPSL team is individually owned and operated. UPSL teams are eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Rounds through the league’s affiliation with USSF. 

More information about UPSL can be found at www.staging.upsl.com or by following the league on Facebook (facebook.com/upslsoccer), Instagram (@upslsoccer) and Twitter (@upslsoccer). 

Contact UPSL: [email protected] / Media: [email protected]